Blake Snell has been the best pitcher on the planet since late May.

Over his last eight starts, he has gone 5-1 with a 0.56 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 78 strikeouts in 48 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a .148 batting average and .435 OPS.

He has double-digit strikeouts in five of his last six starts, and he closed out the first half with six scoreless innings of one-hit, 11-strikeout ball against the New York Mets to drop his ERA under the 3.00 mark on the year.

The 30-year-old is a free agent at the end of the season, and while he has been inconsistent in the years since winning 2018 AL Cy Young honors with the Tampa Bay Rays, he still has elite stuff and could reel in a huge payday if he picks up where he left off to begin the second half.

With Clayton Kershaw dealing with shoulder discomfort, the door is open for Snell to move into the driver's seat in the NL Cy Young race.

Guys like Justin Steele, Marcus Stroman, Bryce Elder, Zac Gallen, Spencer Strider, Logan Webb and Mitch Keller will have something to say about it, but here's predicting that Snell will become just the seventh pitcher in MLB history to win a Cy Young in both leagues.